How Far Do Theories of Childhood Development Take Account of Social and Cultural Factors?

There is little evidence of what it was really like in the past so it is difficult for a lot of people to re-construct the life of a child, however from what I have researched, and in my own opinion I am going to summarise the historical changes in childhood experience and relate these changes to childhood development and rights.

“childhood is socially constructed. It is in other words, what members of particular societies, at particular times, and in particular places, say it is. There is no single universal childhood experienced by all. So childhood isn't 'natural' and should be distinguished from mere biological immaturity”

Early childhood is a time of curiosity, a time for play, and a time of rapid development. Every child is unique and deserving of an early childhood education that facilitates academic, social, and developmental growth through a variety of enjoyable experiences. Differentiated instruction adapts content, products and processes to meet the diverse learning needs and preferences of students (Thousand, Villa, & Nevin, 2007). Friedrich Froebel, the creator of Kindergarten, believed that children grow and learn as they play (Bruno, 2009). Play-based instruction not only enables young learners to have fun, but it also encourages interactive and cooperative learning, passion for discovery, and a foundation for later learning experiences

Childhood is a social construct that has been weaved together by societal norms and domineering perspectives. Childhood is not a physical or mental state but an abstraction that has been melded by society as time has progressed. In Karen Sanchez-Eppler’s excerpt titled “Childhood” from the novel Keywords for Children’s Literature, she explains how the attitudes and atmosphere surrounding childhood have vastly changed throughout history to yield the general, modern conception of childhood. Children have been deemed adults in the Middle Ages and childhood has been a vaguely regarded concept. However, as society has become more progressive and developed, an interest in distinguishing the young from the older individuals

The theories/approaches established by historical and contemporary pioneers provide valuable insight, underpinning the understanding of how children develop, allowing teachers to enhance the holistic development of every child. This essay will analyse the: behaviourist theory; cognitive-developmental theory; and socio-cultural theory.

One of the main features of childhood studies is the idea that childhood is socially constructed. This means that not all childhoods are the same and that it may differ depending on the time in which it is taking place, as well as the social environment or the place that it is taking place. This can be seen at the Museum of Childhood, and how different times have shown changes in the way children act, play, dress, or ultimately are treated in society. Additionally it draws on key differences in the human societies affecting different childhoods in any given period or place, and can examine how the childhood in that given period is constructed. Furthermore a social constructionist looks at the consequences of any given factor and the impact it has on children.

The concept of childhood, is not a natural state, but it has been socially constructed through society and can only exist in a society that understand the term this has been reinforced through history. Another issue is how much of ‘childhood’ has been socially constructed (created and

The readings for week one were Crain (2005) chapter one and Hutchison (2015) chapter one. The Crain (2005) chapter discussed Locke and Rousseau and their contributions to developmental theories. Locke deviated from the previously held beliefs about children as having innate values and innate beliefs by theorizing that the environment can influence the their personality and abilities. Locke believed that instead of treating kids like they have the minds of adults, they actually have minds that are still in the process of forming and are being constantly influenced by external forces (Crain, 2005, p. 7-8). Rousseau proposed stages of development ranging from infancy to adolescence in which children view and experience things as inherently different from adults (Crain, 2005, p. 15-17). Rousseau also believed that children progressed according to an innate and natural course that could not be forced or altered through social conditioning (Crain, 2005, p. 20). Chapter one of Hutchison (2015) discusses the way in which the individuals life can be understood through the unfolding of events and life experiences over time. This is called the “Life Course Perspective” (Hutchison, 2015, p. 7) Those who subscribe to this perspective and apply it to their practice and theories integrate several concepts such as cohorts (the group that an individual belongs to according to the time and place in which they were born), transitions (the changes that occur in an individuals life),

Childhood is usually understood as a set of experiences and behaviours, gained in the early stages of the human existence, considered as the preparation for the adult world. However, the history of childhood is a very complex topic and it has become a very influential area of study in recent years. In 1962, the ‘Centuries of Childhood’ by Philippe Ariés introduced the idea that childhood was a new creation developed in recent centuries and as a concept it was believed to be nonexistent before the seventeenth century. This concept means that there was no awareness of the process of childhood. In several studies of the medieval period, Ariés noticed that childhood was not acknowledged or even attempted to be portrayed during this period. For

School life is an experience that can significantly impact upon a young person’s life, and the 1950’s account on how life was in education raises many issues. The education system of the 1950’s and 60’s was shaped after the introduction of the Butler Act in 1944, which brought about three school systems of learning. This essay will look at examining different views of 1950’s education, for example, it will look at the curriculum that children took, the Eleven Plus, gender, and how children were prepared for the rest of their lives by the schools they were made to attend. There will be references to relevant educational policies that support my analysis, with wider reading supporting my views also.

John Locke was the forefather of the Educational Constructivist movement, which theorized that children and learners construct their personal knowledge in both social and individual situations. Though his opinions were often disputed, Locke had many opinions and theories of the habits and social conventions for the education of young children. Specifically, and perhaps most importantly, he believed that “It is more accurate to think of the child’s mind as a blank slate, and whatever comes from the mind is from the environment” (Crain 7). This ‘blank slate’, or tabula rasa idea founded the theory of nurture. According to his theory, as babies we are born without knowledge of what we should fear or how we should act, it is up to our environments to teach us how to act and behave.

Childhood as disappearing/not disappearing will be discussed within this essay. There is no universal definition for childhood however in the western culture childhood is a period of dependency, characterised by learning the norms and values of society, innocence and freedom from responsibilities. Sociologists such as Postman and Jenks would argue that childhood is disappearing however Opie and Opie and Palmer would contradict this.

Education has been ever developing since the inception of the first schools. The early theorists believed that children were mini adults. Children were treated the same as their adult counterparts. They were given jobs at early ages, and dressed the same as their parents. This belief, that children were just little adults, was called Preformationism. Though this may seem like an antiquated idea, aspects of Preformationism are still scene in today’s society. “We often lapse into the same thinking today, as when we expect young children to sit still for hour, or when we assume that their thinking is the same as ours” (Crain 5). Clearly there was the need for new theories, which would better explain child development and education. This is where Locke and Rousseau come in.

This essay will firstly explain the general concept of autonomy and provide a comprehensive definition of autonomy, which including the broad concept and the meaning of autonomy in the early childhood education field. Secondly will critically consider how Montessori and Rousseau explained the concept of autonomy, as well as how they represented the ideas of autonomy theory. Finally, this essay will critically consider how the autonomy concepts associate to writer 's own childhood, and then will examine writer 's own childhood in relation to the context of diverse childhoods, which will combine with two philosophers ' theories of autonomy.

Attention to every stage of a child’s physical, emotional and educative development is “both critical and vital” (Alison Dunn, 2004). Research shows that the care young children receive has dramatic long-term effects on how children develop and learn, how they cope with stress, and how they react to the world around them. “Science tells us that consistently positive and stimulating experiences in their early years helps children’s brains to grow” (Frank Oberklaid, 2008); it can also affect how they continue to learn later on in life.